If you've ever wondered how to debone chicken thighs the proper way, this post is for you. Save money by removing the bones yourself!
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Why Buy Bone-In Chicken Thighs?
Let's face it--purchasing boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be convenient, but it's so much more expensive! Lately, I've been opting for bone-in thighs and taking the extra bit of time to debone them myself.
It may seem like a daunting task, but I've broken it down into simple steps that are easy to follow. In just a couple of minutes, you can easily debone your own chicken thighs and use them in my Teriyaki Chicken, Honey Mustard Chicken and Vegetables, and Chicken Stir Fry!
You'll be surprised how much of a monetary difference it makes, especially if you buy and cook with chicken thighs often. Here's how to do it with the right technique!
What You'll Need
- Bone-in Chicken Thighs: I like to buy a few bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and debone them all at the same time, but you can easily use this method to debone just one or two thighs.
- Sharp Boning Knife: In order to safely remove the bone, you'll want a nice sharp knife. I prefer to use one on the smaller side so I can be more precise.
- Clean Cutting Board: Or any flat surface that you can easily clean after you've handled raw chicken.
How to Debone Chicken Thighs
- Step 1: Place the chicken thighs skin side up on your cutting board.
- Step 2: Use your hands to pull off the skin, then flip over the chicken thigh.
- Step 3: Use your fingers to find the thigh bone and use a sharp knife to cut closely on both sides of the bone.
- Step 4: Slide the knife under the bone and carefully run it along the length to the end of the bone, until it separates from the chicken.
- Step 5: Once the central bone is removed, feel around to ensure there aren't any smaller bones remaining in the chicken thigh.
- Step 6: Trim excess fat as desired, then use to cook or save for later!
Expert Tips
- To store boneless chicken thighs, place them in a ziploc bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Separate the thighs with a bit of parchment if you want to prevent sticking.
- Seal the bag well and press out air so the chicken thighs don't get freezer-burnt.
- Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before and after handling raw chicken. Clean hands lead to safer meat!
- Though it seems counterintuitive, using a nice sharp knife will prevent you from cutting yourself. You won't need to wrestle with the chicken thighs or bones if your paring knife is plenty sharp. A dull knife may result to the knife slipping.
- Don't be afraid to use your fingers to expose the bone--this will make it easier to pull it up and get the knife underneath!
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with some paper towels to make them less slippery and easier to work with.
FAQs
Save the bones and use them to make a homemade chicken stock! You can also use the chicken skin for this. Making your own chicken stock typically involves boiling the bones and skin with some vegetables like celery, carrots, and onions, as well as any spices and herbs you might like.
You can typically find chicken thighs already de-boned at the grocery store, but these are typically pricier than bone-in thighs. This guide for how to debone chicken thighs is also great when you're unable to find boneless--I've found that bone-in chicken thighs are somewhat easier to find.
Recipes with Chicken Thighs
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How to Debone Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs
Instructions
- Place your chicken thigh skin side up on a cutting board.
- Lift the edge of the skin up and pull if off. Then flip the chicken thigh over.
- Using your fingers find the bone and using a sharp knife make small slices down the both sides.
- Insert your knife under the bone and run it through to the end until the bone is separated from the flesh.
- Once the bone is removed feel the chicken to make sure there are no small pieces left.
- Trim any excess fat off if desired.
Notes
- To freeze: Place in a ziplock freezer bag for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Use a nice sharp knife for an easier time.
Homemade broth is always the best!
Glad I could help Dana!
Fantastic!
This was so helpful! Been wanting to debone chicken thighs on my own because of how much expensive boneless ones are and this was such a great help and also I didn't know it was easy to do. Thanks a lot for the tips!
This was so easy! And my boyfriend was so impressed at the depth of my culinary skills haha. I'm keeping a freezer bag full of chicken thigh bones so I can make broth later. Win win!
Ahhh thank you!!! Great tutorial - I use a lot of boneless skinless thighs in recipes but wanted to start to get bone in because of better price and to make stock with the bones, but I was intimidated by the process - it was so easy!!!
Thanks for sharing. Definitely saved some money by doing this on my own. Very easy to follow. Just need a little more practice! I can make my chicken thigh recipes all the time now.
Super handy! I learned how to do this during covid, but I haven't done it in years, so this was handy to have on hand after accidentally ordering some bone-in thighs!
So happy to hear that!
This was great! I use a lot of recipes for boneless chicken thighs but they never seem to be on sale. This was an easy tutorial to follow and going to make my life easier thank you!